Half of Spanish companies are not actually active

A recent study conducted by Iberinform, a Crédito y Caución subsidiary, reveals that half of Spanish companies—46% of what are considered "alive" businesses—are not actually active. The study uses data from the Mercantile Registry to determine which companies have published their official acts or filed annual accounts in recent years.

In 2024, there is a 6.6% decline in the number of companies filing their annual accounts compared to the historic peak in 2021. This trend suggests a decrease in the dynamism of the Spanish business environment. Non-compliance with filing obligations can have severe consequences for a company, including the potential temporary closure of its registry page, rendering it unable to record any documents (except for director resignation or removal).

Other risks include the possibility of being classified as having fault-based bankruptcy proceedings, the possibility of directors, partners, or creditors claiming damages for the failure to file, and heavy fines imposed by the Institute of Accounting and Accounts Auditing (ICAC). The study's breakdown by autonomous communities reveals that Ceuta and Melilla have the highest inactivity rate at 52%, followed by the Canary Islands and Andalusia at 49%, and the Valencian Community and Murcia at 47%.

Conversely, La Rioja has the lowest inactivity rate at 31%, followed by Navarre at 35%, the Basque Country at 36%, and Aragon and Extremadura at 37%. The overall trend shows a slight deterioration in the volume of companies registered as active but showing no activity compared to 2025.